The 7 Cultural Mountainsof Greatest Influence

Why the 7 Cultural Mountains?

Session l

Bill Bright, Campus Crusade for Christ&

Loren Cunningham, Youth with a Mission

19751975

These 7 areas most define culture

25!www.ChangeAgentBook.com

7 Cultural Mountains of Influence

Kingdoms of this worldThe seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:

“The kingdom of the world has becomethe kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.” Rev.11:15

Focusing on 7 spheres of influence is not a theology. It’s a strategy to focus on areas that have the greatest influence in shaping culture.

Genesis 1:28Then God blessed

them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth

and subdue it; have dominion over the

fish of the sea, over the birds of the air,

and over every living thing that moves on

the earth.”

Colossians 1:15-18

Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For every creature: For by him were all things createdby him were all things created, that are , that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: powers: all things were created by him, and for him: all things were created by him, and for him:

And he is before all things, and And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he in all things he might have the preeminence.might have the preeminence.

Jesus, Lord Over All Domains of Influence(not just Lord over salvation)

1. King of Kings – the Lord of Justice

2. Jehovah Jireh – Lord of Economics

3. Father, Lord of the family

4. Creator God, Lord of science & technology

5. Living Word, Lord of communication

6. Potter, Lord of the arts & beauty

7. Great Teacher, Lord of education

8. The Great Physician, who heals our infirmities

Source: Landa Cope, Old Testament Template

Gospel of the

KingdomSalvation

HealingHealingHearing GodHearing God

ProvisionProvisionWorkWork

Sonship

Dominion versus

Salt & Light?

Matthew 5:13-16

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for

nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city that is

set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand,

and it gives light to all who are in the house. ...

JESUS’ MISSIONJESUS’ MISSION

LifeLife WorkWork

CityCity

Nation Nation

Church Church Matt 6:9-10"'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. “

SAMARITAN WOMANSAMARITAN WOMAN

Culture change should be a Culture change should be a fruit, not a goal!fruit, not a goal!

We are called to use our influence only to serve others and to solve a problem.

Jesus acted as having authority, but He never reached for the power.

People were drawn to Him when they experienced His love and His power to

solve a problem in their life.

However, our Lord’s primary obedience was to However, our Lord’s primary obedience was to the will of His Father, not to the needs of peoplethe will of His Father, not to the needs of people— the saving of people was the natural outcome — the saving of people was the natural outcome

of His obedience to the Father. of His obedience to the Father.

God’s Redemptive PlanGod’s Redemptive PlanRelationshipRelationshipAdam & EveAdam & Eve

““Free will”Free will”

The FallThe FallSatanSatan

-Orphan Orphan heartheart

JesusJesusLK 19:10LK 19:10Jn10:10 Jn10:10

Power of AttorneyPower of AttorneyEzek 22:30 Ezek 22:30 IntercedeIntercede

Jesus DeathJesus DeathAll AuthorityAll Authority

Mt 16:19.”keys”Mt 16:19.”keys”John 14:12 John 14:12

““greater works”greater works”

Jesus ReturnsJesus Returns

““Yeah, we blew it!”Yeah, we blew it!”

SatanSatan “ “Ruler of world”Ruler of world”

Jn 12:21Jn 12:21

Psalm 115:16, “The heavens are the Psalm 115:16, “The heavens are the heavens of the Lord, heavens of the Lord,

but the earth He has given to but the earth He has given to the sons of men.”the sons of men.”

7500 Covenants7500 Covenants

Rom 4:17 Faith is calling things that are not as though

they were!

DelegatedDelegated

Influence with God and influence with manInfluence with God and influence with man

LOREN CUNNINGHAM

“Use your authority and you will lose your

influence…

…use your influence and you will gain authority.”

- Loren Cunningham

We are not talking about

• controlling culture• manipulating people• dominating others

God gave everyone FREE WILL to choose the life they would live

Colossians 1:19-20

For it pleased the Father that in him should all For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all to reconcile all things unto himself; things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.be things in earth, or things in heaven.

“for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Luke 19:10

The Church’s premise for hundreds of years?

“If we just have more Christians in the culture the culture will be better.”

Nigeria

% to change % to change a cultural mountain?a cultural mountain?

Culture is defined by only Culture is defined by only 3-5% of people who operate at 3-5% of people who operate at the top of a cultural mountain.the top of a cultural mountain.

Mountains are Controlled by Small Mountains are Controlled by Small % of Leaders and Networks% of Leaders and Networks

““US culture has been defined by less than 500 US culture has been defined by less than 500 intellectual cultural philosophers who influence intellectual cultural philosophers who influence

7 gates and supporting networks since our 7 gates and supporting networks since our birth as a nation.” Randall Collins, a sociologist birth as a nation.” Randall Collins, a sociologist

and author of and author of Discovery of SocietyDiscovery of Society

““Indeed, according to Collins, the total number of philosophers who are significant in world history is

approximately 135 to 500 persons; the small number if we take only the major figures in each world

civilization; the intermediate one if we add secondary figures.”

– Randall Collins, Discovery of Society

Influence in HistoryInfluence in History

• Average of 35 years of each leaderAverage of 35 years of each leader

• Books and speeches don’t change Books and speeches don’t change culture; adopting ideas by a culture; adopting ideas by a network of network of influencersinfluencers

• Ideas must be institutionalizedIdeas must be institutionalized

• Money must support ideas which makes Money must support ideas which makes the differencethe difference

Randall Collins sociologist

Randall CollinsRandall CollinsThe Discovery of SocietyThe Discovery of Society

“Size of a population is relatively unimportant—it doesn’t take a large number of elites operating in strategic ways to make world-historical changes in the direction of a civilization.”

2,700 In sum,

between 150 and 3,000 people (a tiny fraction of the roughly 23

billion people living between 600 b.c. and 1900 a.d.) framed the major

contours of all world civilizations. Clearly, the transformations

here were top-down.

Randall Collins, sociologist and author of Discovery of Society

Culture is defined by the adoption of values and beliefs in 4 main competing networks

– Military (Gov’t)– Economic (Business)

– Political (Gov’t)

• Key=Cultural – Education, Arts & Entertainment, Media – define values /beliefs

James Davison Hunter, To Change the WorldTo Change the World

““Imagine a genuine ‘third great awakening’ Imagine a genuine ‘third great awakening’ occurring in America, where half of the occurring in America, where half of the population is converted to a deep Christian population is converted to a deep Christian faith. faith. Unless this awakening extended Unless this awakening extended to envelop the cultural gatekeepers, to envelop the cultural gatekeepers, it would have little effect on the it would have little effect on the character of the symbols that are character of the symbols that are produced and prevail in public and produced and prevail in public and private culture. private culture.

• James Davison Hunter, To Change the World, Oxford Press, New York, NY 2010, P. 46

James Davison Hunter, To Change the WorldTo Change the World

““Without a fundamental restructuring of Without a fundamental restructuring of the institutions of culture formation and the institutions of culture formation and transmission in our society – the market, transmission in our society – the market, government sponsored cultural government sponsored cultural institutions, education at all levels, institutions, education at all levels, advertising, entertainment, publishing, and advertising, entertainment, publishing, and the news media, not to mention church the news media, not to mention church – revival would have a negligible long-term revival would have a negligible long-term effect on the reconstitution of the culture.”effect on the reconstitution of the culture.”

• James Davison Hunter, To Change the World, Oxford Press, New York, NY 2010, P. 46

No other No other institution institution convenesconvenes

influencers influencers who work in who work in the cultural the cultural mountains mountains

weeklyweekly!!

Summary

• Recognition of 7 areas that most influence culture

• Salt and light• Strategy, not a theology• Not dominionism

– Gospel of the Kingdom– Lord’s prayer